This invention relates to a refrigerated display case.
Refrigerated display cases frequently have an open viewing area that permits consumers to reach into the display case to retrieve product, such as milk, eggs and other perishable items from a display space. The display case may have a cool air outlet at the top that directs air across the viewing area to an air inlet, a warm air return, at the bottom of the case, thereby creating an air curtain that insulates the interior of the display case from warm ambient air outside.
Typically, these display cases have shelves within the display space to support the refrigerated product. At the front of the shelf hangs a light to illuminate product within the case. Unfortunately, this light generates heat, warming air and product in the vicinity of the light. As a consequence, this light alters temperature distribution within the display space and causes the product temperature near the front of the display space to be high.
A need therefore exists for a display case that avoids the uneven temperature distribution caused by the location of the light near the air curtain.
The present invention locates display lighting away from the air curtain. In so doing, this source of heat is prevented from having a significant effect on the temperature of the product in the front of the display. Preferably, the light is placed near the back of the display space and away from the air curtain located at the front. To maintain light distribution across the display space, a reflector, such as a mirror, may be used to reflect light on the product. In this way, the effect of the light""s heat on the air curtain is limited, promoting efficient operation of the refrigeration system, without sacrificing the quality of lighting for the display case.
The reflector may be mounted to a shelf to permit light to shine down on product below the shelf with the reflector. The shelf may have a mirror or other reflective surface to provide this illumination. Light accordingly continues to be distributed throughout the display space.
The refrigeration system may also have an air mover, such as a fan, that directs air through the display case. Driven by the air mover, air may pass through a cooling element, such as a refrigeration coil, to an air outlet that distributes air across the front of the display case in the form of an air curtain. The air curtain may then be received by an air inlet, a warm air return, which feeds the air back to a cooling element so that the air may be cooled down once more.
Accordingly, a display space may have a front viewing area and a back area. Air is cooled for the display space and directed across the viewing area. A light source is located away from the front area and near the back area. A reflector is spaced from the light source to reflect light across the display space.